Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1887-08-27

FH~Nt
the veranda, where we found Umslopogaas
taking advantage Of this favorable opportu-
NIFTY 70 clean thoroughly all tho rifles. This
was the only work that he ever did or was
asked to do, for as a Zulu chief II was beneath
his dignity TO work with his hands; but such
as IL was he did 1t very well. It was a curl
GUS sight to see the great Zulu sitting there
upon tho floor, his battleax resting against
The wall behind him, while bis long, aristo.
cratic looking hands were busily employed.
delicately, and with the utmost care, cleaning
the mechanism OF the breech leaders. He had
name for each gun. One--a double four
bore belonging TO Sir Heury--was the Thun-
derer; another, my 500 Express, which had a
peculiarly sharp report, was ''the little one
who spoke like a whip;p the Winchester re-
peaters ''the women, who talked A<Aakt that
you could not tell one word from nnother:n
the six Martins were "the common peoplen
and SO on with them all. It was very curious
70 hear him addressing each gun as he cleaned
~ as though It were an individual, and In a
VEN OF the quaintest humor. He did the
same With his battleax, which he seemed to
look upon as an intimate friend, and to which
no would at times talk by the hour, going
over all his old adventures with it-and
dreadful enough some Of them were Bv
piece Of grim humor he had named this OK
"lnkosi-kaas," which Is tho Zulu word for
chieftainess. For long while ! could not
make out why he gave itsuch name, and at
last lasiked him, when be informed mo that the
AK was evidently feminine, because OF her
womanly habit of prying very deep into
things, and that she was clearly chieftainess
because all men fell down before her, struck
dumb at tho sight of her beauty and power.
In tho same way he would consult "Inkosi-
kaas" II IN any dilemma; and when I asked
him why be did SO, he informed me 1t was
because she must needs DO wise, having
looked into SO many peoples brains.''
took up the ak and closely examined this
formidable weapon. 1t was, as have said,
OF the nature OF poleax The haft, made
out OF an enormous rhinoceros horn, was
three feet three inches long, about an inch
and quarter thick. and with knob at 4he
end as large as Maltese orange, left therS4
prevent the hand from slipping. This horn
bait, though so massive was as flexible as
cane, and practically unbeatable; but, to
make assurance double sure. it was tipped
round at intervals of few inches with copper
wire-aii the parts where tho hand rripe
being thus treated. Just above where the
mart entered the head We're scored number
OF little hicks, each nick representing a man
Killed in battle with the weapon The ak It.
self was made Of the most beautiful steel, and
apparently OF European manufacture, though
umslopogaas did not know where it cana
from, having taken it from tho hand of q
chief he had killed In battle many years be-
fore. IL was not very heavy, the head weigh
ing two and half pounds, as nearly as
could judge. The cutting part was slightly
concave IN shape-not convex, as Is generally
the case with savage battleaxes--and sharp
as razor, measuring five and three-ouarter
inches across the widest part From the back
OF the ak sprang stout spike four inches
long, for the last two OF which IL WINS hollow.
and shaped like leather punch, with an
opening for anything forced into the hollow
AZ The punch end to be pushed out aboye--in
TACT, In this respect it exactly resembled a
butchers poleax. It was with this punch
end, as we afterward discovered, that UNI
slopogaas usually struck when fighting, driv-
ing neat round hole in his adversary's skull
and oaly using the broad, cutting edge fora
circular sweep, or sometimes In q melee, I
think he considered the punch q heater and
more sportsmanlike tool, and it was for his
anbit of pecking at his enemy with it that he Il
got his name OF "Woodpeckern Certainly In
AIS hands it was a terribly efficient one.
Such was Umslopogaas' ak Inkosi-kaas,
he most remarkable and fatal hand to hand
weapon that / ever saw, and ono that bo
cherished as much as his own life. 1t
carcely ever left his hand except when he
vas eating, and then he always sat with it
inder his leg
just as returned his ak to Umslopogaas
Mss Flossie came up and took mo or to see
Ter collection of flowers, African liliums and
blooming shrubs, some Of which are very
beautiful, many OF the varieties being quite
lnknown to me, and also, / believe, to
botanical science. / asked her If she had
YER seen or heard of tho Goya lily, which
entral African explorers have told me they
ave occasionally mot with, and whose won
erful loneliness has filed them with astonish-
nent. This lily, which the natives say
blooms only once in ten years, fourishes In
he most arid soil.
To my great delight Miss Flossio told mo
hat she knew the flower well, and had tried
0 grow it in her garden, but without sue
ess, adding, however, that as it should DO in
loom at this time of year, she thought that
40 could procure me specimen.
After that l fell to asking her IL she was
OF lonely up bere among oil these savage
cople, and without any companions Of her
wn age.
J.onely?' she said. aOh, indeed mol am
siiappy as the day is long, and besides have
y own companions"
@And are you never afraid among all these
i'd menu"
Afraid Oh, moi they never interfere
18th me. | think they believe that | am
Sgaf" (of the Divinity, abecause am SO
lutte and have fair hair And lool here.p
nd diving her little hand into the bodice a
or dress she produced a double barreled.
ickel plated Derringer II always carry
lat loaded, and if anybody tried to touch
10 should shoot him. Once shot leopard
nat jumped upon my donkey as l was riding
long. II frightened me very much. 5ut
rot it in the ear and it fell dead, and / have
s skin upon my bed
Just then the spies whom our host had sent
Ut In the morning to find out IL there were
ny traces OF our Nasal friends about re-
lrned, and reported that the country hsd
zen secured for fifteen miles round without
single Elmoran being seen, and TINT they
slieved that those gentry had given UP the
ursuit and returned whence they came. Mr..
Iackenzie gave sigh Of relief when he heard